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Some concept cars are just flights of fancy. Take for example the Genesis Essentia that bowed at the New York Auto Show earlier this year. This low-slung coupe boasted a transparent hood, set of butterfly doors, copper wheels, and electric powertrain. The concept proved to be quite popular, prompting Genesis to make a production version.

Erwin Raphael, executive director of Genesis North America told reporters at a gathering that the automaker is planning to bring the Essentia as a production model. It would be built in limited numbers and carry a hefty price tag.

"We are very committed to the Essentia. We love the car. We think the car will do very well," said Raphael.

Raphael didn't give a possible timeframe, but Manfred Fitzgerald, global head of Genesis told Motor Trend the production Essentia could arrive in 2021 or 2022. The ability to bring the car out so soon is due to almost all of the design elements on the concepts being feasible for production - the butterfly doors are one of the exceptions. Raphael mentioned the Essentia could be the sports car that Genesis has promised or a new seventh model in their growing lineup.

No mention of a powertrain for the production version. The Essentia rides on a electric architecture that Genesis is experimenting with as works to try and get an electric vehicle launched by 2021.

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They think a low slung coupe with a hefty price tag will do very well? Genesis needs crossovers, that is what does well.

It would be cool if they made this an electric car, but I feel like it will end up with a 3.3 liter turbo V6 like every other Genesis. Bolting a turbo onto a 2012 Azera engine hasn't worked for the rest of their line up, but they seem to keep going back to that well one more time.

It is a bust and in part because they have a V6 from the now cancelled Azera and a V8 from the 2012 Genesis, which is just an enlarged displacement version of the 2009 V8. That is a 10 year old engine in a segment that wants new tech. And the interior switch gear is from a Hyundai and the exterior styling looks like a copy cat of other luxury brands.

I don’t know what draws the average consumer to Genesis, there is nothing to pull them in. And a low slung EV that no one will see on the road won’t drive any showroom traffic either.

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Autocar says the next-generation GTI will use an updated version of the turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder producing either 252 or 286 horsepower. The current model in the U.S. punches out 227 horsepower. A six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch will be the available transmissions.
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“The plan right now is to build 60 [RC F] Track Editions...and it’s going to be 40 of the white and 20 of the matte gray [cars for 2020]. It’s [our] intention to have a version of the Track Edition in subsequent [model] years,” said Cooper Ericksen, vice president for product planning and strategy at Lexus.
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“We’re having fun with the engineers to figure out what [Track Edition] can look like in the future."
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